The Ukrainian military has ordered Dozor-B armored vehicles. The country is battling pro-Russian militans in the eastern region. (Ukroboronprom)

WARSAW — The Ukrainian armed forces have ordered 200 Dozor-B armored vehicles to strengthen their operational capacities, state-owned defense giant Ukroboronprom said in a statement. The vehicles were recently tested in the presence of Ukrainian military who are involved in an anti-terror operation in the country’s east, where Russia-backed militants are clashing with Ukraine’s military.

The all-terrain vehicles are highly mobile and maneuverable compared with other vehicles operated by the military, Oleksandr Tuchynov, the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, was quoted in the statement. In addition, the Dozor-B has sufficient firepower and a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour, according to the official.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Saturday that the armed forces were launching a counteroffensive to take control over Ukraine’s eastern border through which the militants are receiving weapons, equipment and funds.

The announcement was made shortly after a Ukrainian military transport aircraft was shot down by pro-Russian rebels the previous night, killing all 49 passengers on board.

The Dozor-B is manufactured by Ukroboronprom’s subsidiary, Kharkiv Morozov Machine-Building Design Bureau. Based in Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, the firm specializes in production and upgrades of tracked vehicles, armored personnel carriers, infantry combat vehicles, and repair and recovery vehicles, according to data from Ukroboronprom. ■